Ravens Fall To Bengals, Can't Escape Slow First Half Start

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Thursday, September 13, 2018
Jacob Troxell, WBAL NewsRadio 1090

Credit: Baltimore Ravens

Coming into 2018, things were supposed to be different for the Ravens.

They still could be different from 2017. Baltimore could end the franchise's playoff drought. But Thursday, progress wasn't made in the win column, the only one that matters in 2018 for Baltimore, as the Ravens lost 34-23.

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Baltimore added skill position players to the offense and depth to the defense, but the same result came against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tyler Boyd scored the game winning touchdown, but this time it wasn't with mere seconds left. It happened in the second quarter.

Baltimore couldn't complete revenge on its divisional rival that knocked the 9-7 team out of the playoffs in Week 17 last year, largely because the Ravens caught itself in a 28-7 hole in the first half.

Much like last week against the Buffalo Bills No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin, different combinations of players in Baltimore's secondary were responsible for taking on the opposing team's top target with cornerback Jimmy Smith serving the second game of his four-game suspension. However, it didn't matter who covered the primary target, because Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had time to throw and numerous receivers open on a number of plays.

And he had all day to throw.

Baltimore forced no turnovers and no sacks in a road game for the first time since Sept. 24 last year against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

After each team went three-and-out on the first drives of the game, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw an interception into traffic, seemingly trying to force a throw to receiver Michael Crabtree toward the right sideline.

It was Flacco's 24th interception in his 20th career game against the Bengals. He later would throw his 25th.

It then took the Bengals four plays to go 16 yards -- 11 of those on a defensive pass interference call on safety Tony Jefferson -- and into the end zone.

Two more Bengals scoring drives in the game were extended by Ravens penalties.

Later in the half, the Bengals wasted no time moving the ball 80 yards in five plays (four passes). A.J. Green scored a second time, and on the next drive, a third time. The third touchdown was Green's ninth touchdown catch in his 11th career game against Baltimore.

Three of the first four Ravens drives resulted in punts.

On Baltimore's fifth drive, the Ravens tried getting quarterback Lamar Jackson involved by running the "Philly Special" reverse play with Jackson presumably throwing to Flacco, but the play got blown up.

On the next play, John Brown bailed out Baltimore on a 3rd-and-15 heave down the middle of the field. Brown turned and caught the ball against his chest between two defenders. Running back Buck Allen later punched the ball in on first and goal thanks to a defensive pass interference call on cornerback Darqueze Dennard the play before.

For the second straight week, outside linebacker Matt Judon was called for a roughing the passer penalty. This time, his hit on Dalton allowed the Bengals' fifth drive to continue, eventually into Ravens territory, and even further, the end zone.

Tyler Boyd took a short pass over the middle and scored with ease to put the Bengals up 28-7 with 2:58 left in the second quarter.

The Ravens capped off a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive to respond and end the half with rookie tight end Mark Andrews making a diving catch on 3rd and goal to put Baltimore within two scores.

Coming out of the second half, Baltimore got the three-and-out stop it needed on defense. Justin Tucker's 55-yard field goal on the next drive brought Baltimore within 11.

But after the Bengals managed only 11 yards before a punt on the next drive, Baltimore failed on another fourth-down conversion in Bengals territory.

Like the offense did on fourth and short in the first half, Flacco dropped back to pass, this time completing a pass to Allen that never got beyond the line to gain, which was two yards away. Allen ran a route that was about 1.5 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Shocker player runs route short of marker on 4th and 2, player is short of the first down... @Ravens like the choice to go fornut there terrible execution of the route

The Ravens defense got yet another stop, but Baltimore couldn't take advantage with a touchdown on offense. Tight end Nick Boyle was tasked with blocking Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap on the following drive and it didn't end well for Baltimore.

Flacco was hit by Dunlap as he attempted to throw a deep pass, but the ball fluttered in the air as a result, and it was intercepted by safety Shawn Williams.

About five minutes into the fourth quarter, Brown made another catch in traffic above cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick that none of the receivers from last year would have made, this time in the end zone.

But Kirkpatrick got the last laugh.

With the score 31-23 with under two minutes to go, Williams hit an unsuspecting Flacco from behind on a rollout to force a fumble, recovered by Kirkpatrick to end all hope of a Ravens comeback.

Standout performers:

RB Alex Collins: Although Collins only managed 35 yards on nine carries, he caught three passes on four targets for 55 yards. Collins showed how he won the starting job last year with a combination of power and consistent footwork paired with balance, allowing him to turn a few check-down passes into big yards.

WR John Brown: Brown made catches in traffic downfield that almost no other receiver his size in the NFL could. Brown's catch over Kirkpatrick might be one of the best of the year.

MLB Kenny Young: Taking over for the injured C.J. Mosley, Young showed why he gave Patrick Onwuasor a run for the other starting inside linebacker job in training camp. Quick to recognize plays, Young made multiple tackles in open space and tied for the team high in tackles (8) and had a tackle for loss.

The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec reports Onwuasor had the helmet with the communication device in the first half when Mosley went down. It switched to Weddle in the second half.

"Going forward, we just have to keep our heads up and keep believing in what we're building around here." pic.twitter.com/AJDc7NLSGD